(Spanish below)
On February 6, 2025, an appeal hearing of the 2018 sentence of the Molina Theissen case was held. This sentence sentenced Benedicto Lucas García, Manuel Callejas y Callejas, and Hugo Zaldaña Rojas to 58 years in prison for crimes against humanity, forced disappearance and aggravated sexual violence, as well as Francisco Luis Gordillo Martinez to 36 years in prison for the same crimes.
The appeal filed by the defense of the former soldiers seeks to annul this sentence. We invite you to read the statement of social organizations in support of the Molina Theissen family, you can find it in Spanish below.
“THESE FACTS OFFEND THE DIGNITY OF THE WORLD”
THE MOLINA THEISSEN SENTENCE SHOULD STAY FINAL
On May 23rd, 2018, the First High Risk Court of Criminal Sentencing, Drug Trafficking and Environmental Crimes “C” issued a sentence against four former high-ranking military officials for grave violations of human rights committed against Emmal Molina Theissen and Marco Antonio Molina Theissen during the Internal Armed Conflict in Guatemala.
With this sentence the former members of the Guatemalan military Hugo Ramiro Zaldaña Rojas, Manuel Antonio Callejas Callejas, and Manuel Benedicto Lucas García were convicted as authors of the crime of the forced disappearance of 14-year-old Marco Antonio Molina Theissen. For the crime of aggravated rape of Emma Guadalupe Molina Theissen, Zaldaña Rojas, Callejas Callejas, Lucas García, and Francisco Luis Gordillo Martínez were convicted and recieved a sentence for crimes against humanity.
This historical sentence was a significant step in condemning forced disappeared and sexual violence on a national level, and for the Molina Theissen family it represented an advance in the fulfillment of the 2004 sentence dictated by the Interamerican Court of Human Rights.
In the past year, there has been a serious backtracking in matters of justice for the victims and survivors of the severe violations to human rights which occurred during the Internal Armed Conflict. In fact, in 2024, three of those convicted in this case were favored with house arrest.
Given the former, we demand that the First Court of Appeals DISMISSES the special appeals put forward by the military officials and upholds the conviction dictated in 2018, thereby complying with national and international standards, as well as with the obligations of the State of Guatemala to human rights.
We embrace the Molina Theissen family in this path in search of justice which they have undertaken for decades. We stand in solidarity with them, who have also been criminalized with spurious allegations. Furthermore, we call Guatemalan society to continue the demand of justice for the serious events of the past. Today the First Court of Appeals holds in its hands the responsibility to comply with the law and keep the sentence final.
Guatemala, February 6th, 2025
FAMDEGUA, La Cuerda, Colectivo Acción Comunitaria, CONAVIGUA, Convergencia por los derechos humanos, CALDH, ECAP, ICCPG, ODHAG, UDEFEGUA-, UNAMG, GAM, H.I.J.O.S. Guatemala, Impunity Watch.
“La Sentencia Molina Theissen debe quedar firme”. Comunicado de organizaciones sociales en apoyo al caso.
El 6 de febrero del 2025, se llevo a cabo una audiencia de apelación de la sentencia del 2018 del caso Molina Theissen. Dicha sentencia, condenó a prisión a Benedicto Lucas García, Manuel Callejas y Callejas, y Hugo Zaldaña Rojas, a 58 años por crímenes contra la humanidad, desaparición forzada y violencia sexual agravada, así como a Francisco Luis Gordillo Martinez a 36 años de prisión por los mismos delitos.
La apelación impulsada por la defensa de los ex- militares, busca anular esta sentencia. Te invitamos a leer el comunicado de organizaciones sociales en respaldo a la familia Molina Theissen, lo encuentras en español a continuación.
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